Abstract: Membrane functionality – selectivity and permeability – is intimately linked with the structure and morphology of the membrane material(s), spanning truly molecular scales through the nano-scale and up to features the size of many microns. These structures are, in turn, a direct outcome of the processes employed for the fabrication of the membrane; notable examples are phase separation and interfacial polymerization (IP). Recent modelling efforts have been made at linking composite membrane structure, particularly the porous morphology of the thin-film and underlying support, to membrane performance, using simplified models that attempt to capture the essential features of the problem. Efforts have also been extended to understanding the mechanisms underlying the formation of the thin film, for which we employ microfluidic platforms and in-situ microscopic imaging. In particular, we have recently measured the temperature generated in the vicinity of the reaction zone during IP. These efforts are part of a more holistic vision that aims at providing design guidelines in an attempt to reduce the parameter space that must then be tested empirically during actual membrane fabrication. Furthermore, experimental setups, based on microfluidic platforms, are being developed as a complimentary path, whose aim is two-fold: (a) provide a means for direct and rapid observation of membrane structures and a rapidprototyping environment, and (b) allow in-silico measurements and characterization of membrane properties.
Biography: Ramon received his doctoral degree in Environmental Engineering from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology at Haifa and then spent one year at the University of California, Los Angeles as a US-Israel BARD postdoctoral fellow, followed by 2 years at Princeton University as a Marie-Curie fellow. He is currently an assistant Professor in the department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the Technion, where he is the head of the Water & Energy Technologies Laboratory (WETLab). Research activities in his group are focused on developing sustainable technologies for water and energy production, and environmental concerns at the Energy-Water Nexus. These include broad aspects of membrane science and technology, acoustic energy conversion and the fluid mechanics of produced water resulting from hydraulic fracturing operations in the oil & gas industry.